November 12, 2015
School Vendors Legally Commit to Use Student Data only for Approved Educational Uses
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, November 12, 2015 – The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) today announced that the Student Privacy Pledge, endorsed by President Obama, the National PTA and the National School Boards Association, now has the support of 200 companies serving millions of students.
The legally binding commitments in the Pledge can be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General. All participating companies and organizations are listed online at www.studentprivacypledge.org.
The Pledge is a list of 12 commitments school service providers have made to affirm K-12 student data is maintained in a secure, private and responsible framework.
The Pledge was developed by the FPF and SIIA in October 2014 with guidance from school service providers, educator organizations, and parent groups following collaboration with U.S. Representatives Jared Polis (CO) and Luke Messer (IN).
“Companies that serve students understand that they must maintain the trust of parents, students and teachers,” said Jules Polonetsky, Executive Director, FPF. “Although many states are passing new laws to govern student privacy, the Pledge plays a key role in setting a national standard for protecting student data and ensures companies are aware of the central restrictions in statutes such as FERPA and COPPA.”
“This milestone for the student privacy pledge further demonstrates the industry’s strong commitment to protecting student data privacy. These best practices safeguarding student information are a staple of the industry and provide a legally enforceable commitment to students, parents and schools,” said Brendan Desetti, Director, Education Policy, SIIA.
In addition to the Pledge campaign, the FPF has run a series of student privacy ‘bootcamp’ training sessions for ed-tech, hosted the first-ever National Student Privacy Symposium, and issued a privacy guide for parents in partnership with the National PTA.
Companies and organizations wishing to review the full text of the Pledge and consider participation are invited to go to www.studentprivacypledge.org or email info@studentprivacypledge.org.
About FPF
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that seeks to advance responsible data practices. The forum is led by Internet privacy experts Jules Polonetsky and Christopher Wolf and includes an advisory board comprised of leading figures from industry, academia, law and advocacy groups. For more information, visit www.fpf.org
About SIIA
SIIA is the leading association representing the software and digital content industries. The Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN) of SIIA serves and represents more than 200 of SIIA’s 800 member companies worldwide that provide educational software applications, digital content, online learning services and related technologies across the K-20 sector. SIIA-ETIN shapes and supports the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, government relations, corporate education, intellectual property protection, business development opportunities and critical market information.
Media Contacts
Nicholas Graham, for FPF, (571) 291-2967, fpfmedia@fpf.org
Brendan Desetti, for SIIA, (202) 789-4448, bdesetti@siia.net
